


Prince With a Thousand Enemies

by aliweyeh



Series: Heart no Kuni no Alice Team Peter [6]
Category: Heart no Kuni no Alice | Alice in the Country of Hearts
Genre: Alternate Origin Story, F/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:54:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25273498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliweyeh/pseuds/aliweyeh
Summary: This is an origin story for Peter White, and his point of view during the rest of my fics.
Relationships: Alice Liddell/Peter White (Heart no Kuni no Alice)
Series: Heart no Kuni no Alice Team Peter [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/702357
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by Mangalite

“All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you...” 

-Richard Adams, Watership Down 

He was cold, blind, and alone. Chill being the most jarring experience of his fresh life, he sought warmth. Materials beneath him were soft with promise, but not ample enough to protect the rest of his exposed body. His little extremities flailed outward, searching for more. 

_What?_ He touched something, cool and sticky like him. 

_Another?_ He awkwardly forced his limbs towards It, when It too began writhing, hitting him as he tried to approach. 

_Stop that, I’ve already found you,_ he scolded internally, confused. 

_And if you’ll just stay still, I can come near._ A few more blows and he understood. Clumsily shuffling away, he shivered, when another “like him” made Itself known by nudging one of his rear appendages. He kicked It away, quite certain that was the proper response. He congratulated himself a few moments later when he didn't feel It again, just to suddenly find It settling in against his side. He briefly considered smacking It harder, when heat started washing over him from where It sat. He leaned closer, attempting to wrap around It, and noticed how tiny It was in stature. 

_Stay away from the other one,_ he warned silently. _It won’t be as kind as I._

Noting how Small no longer moved, he too fell asleep. 

*********10 Days Old 

White heard his mother's movements as she entered the burrow, and immediately rose to feed before Brown did. Patched however didn’t even stir, a fact that both worried and annoyed him. 

**_She_ ** _should have been up first. She's going to miss this meal, and when she's practically half the size of—_ White felt himself being shoved away from his mother by Brown, who had apparently decided it was his turn to nurse, and that he alone would do so. White glared at his older brother, prepared to defend his position for as long as possible. Unfortunately, he found himself boxed out of his spot sooner than preferred. Defeated, the albino rabbit marched over to Patched and butted hard against her stomach. She whipped her head around before placing him, the shock fading from her eyes as she took in her surroundings. The tiny doe saw that she was late to drink, but still plodded over to her mother. Unfortunately, the brunet didn't seem interested in sharing, and blocked his sister’s path. 

_Stupid._ White thought irritably. _She should know better by now. She shall have to try harder than that if she ever hopes to escape this nest. What was_ **_I_ ** _supposed to do, waste my time trying to wake her? It's not as though Mother went out of her way to!_ These arguments only defended him so well from Patched’s pleading gaze and lowered ears. Brown however didn't seem the least bit concerned, and Mother was preparing to leave. 

_The more you fret over her the less you will think of yourself, and who knows what that will bring?_ Then he heard her soft little sigh, and felt his own ears droop. White moved to his sister's side and began gently nuzzling her cheeks and forehead. He watched as she started to close her eyes, and lightly chatter her teeth in appreciation. Maybe he would nudge her near the opening of the burrow, so next time she could hear Mother coming first. Just this once.

********* 

Next meal, they followed her to the edge of the burrow. White watched his mother depart, curious, but not foolhardy enough to leave. Brown shoved past him and continued onwards, having apparently sparse regard for his own well-being. 

_Serves him right if something snatches him up this very second,_ he mused. Patched on the other hand neared him slowly, head low and nose twitching as she peered outward. The young buck regarded his sister silently, doing his best to appear uninvested as she gazed excitedly between him and the outside, trying to share how impressive she thought the view was. Her little paws scurried back and forth, coating them in dirt, and the movements were making her fur unruly...White let out a sharp sigh and thumped his foot on the ground in irritation, before getting behind Patched and stiffly pushing her back into the depths of the burrow. Made a mess of herself, that’s what she’d done. She looked a fright and needed to be cleaned as soon as possible. White was very partial to grooming, and while his sister didn’t share his same level of enthusiasm, she never rejected his attempts to keep her looking presentable.

_It’s your own fault you’re so...soft,_ he scolded internally, while diligently licking her fur back into place. _Perhaps if you weren’t so involved, if you allowed her to care for herself, you wouldn’t be so concerned. But…what_ _if some of that dirt gets on me? Or what if her disheveled coat invites fleas? No, it is not for her sake that I take these pains, it is for myself. The neater she is the tidier I stay. That is all_. A few minutes later, White took stock of his progress, and deemed it adequate. He hadn’t done a thing for her paws, but seeing as they were only dusty (as opposed to detestibly muddy), a short stroll through the glass-and-fluff lined burrow would fix that. He gave a short but pleased nod before crossing to the other side of the nest for a nap. However, not long after he closed his eyes did White feel a slight pressure on his left. He glanced over to find his sister nearly leaning on him, eyes large and timid. Kicking her away now would be preferable for both of them. Perhaps then she would stop relying on him, and he could cease fretting for her. 

_But...it has been rather cold of late, and I would hate for the chill to rob me of rest._ White shifted himself to recline against the wall on his right, exposing his tummy in invitation. Patched immediately nuzzled into the space provided, and nodded off shortly after. Her brother had just begun to doze when Brown suddenly entered the hole, sloppily covered in bits of grass. White found himself curling protectively around their sister, glaring at his older sibling as he did so. To his relief, the larger buck merely sat down at the other end of the nest and began attending to his own slumber. Not even bothering to justify his most recent kindness towards Patched, White finally closed his eyes, and dreamed. 

********19 Days Old

White chewed furiously at the root dangling from above. It was a thick tuber, extensively connected to others in the earthen ceiling. It had also been well embedded in the burrow wall, before the aching albino desperately freed it from the surrounding dirt. It was ridiculous, the way his teeth were cutting and crowding into his mouth. He pulled down hard, trying to liberate a fresh portion, when small clumps of soil began pummeling his head and filling his ears. Properly deterred, the kitten took a break from gnawing and experimentally moved his jaw. They still felt a bit long, but had definitely improved. He considered wearing them down a little more, when the sounds of muffled hopping echoed through the burrow. White immediately began to cover his treasure with loose hay and dirt, least his siblings see and attempt to use it themselves. Unfortunately, the fact that it was Patched returning from her foray into the world didn’t so much reassure him as it did weigh him with guilt. Had it been her root she would not hesitate to share, generous fool that she was. He waited tensely as she approached, and allowed her to cheerfully nudge the underside of his chin in greeting. He relaxed slightly as she moved to the other side of the nest, and decided that a nap was in order. White laid down and closed his eyes, when the soft munching of hay captured his attention. Annoyed, he searched around to find Patched nibbling bits of dried grass, yet refusing to swallow. He saw her bite down over and over with steadily increasing power before—

_She’s trying to wear her teeth down too._ The discomfort in his belly squirmed. 

_She needs to take care of herself. Unless you wish to spend the rest of your life watching over her, you must allow her to—_ the rhythmic clacking of teeth disrupted his train of thought. The substance between her jaws could hardly be considered grass anymore, but the kitten continued to chomp, as though she could overcome this obstacle through sheer force. White pushed his head against the wall and tried to ignore images of Patched biting her tongue. Or cracking her teeth. Or—

* _Clack_ . CLACK. **CLACK**!* White slapped the root covering off the wall and thumped his foot wildly against the ground. Patched immediately turned at this display, and tilted her head in confusion. Her brother marched over and roughly shoved her towards the catche, before yanking out the tuber and insistently pressing it into her mouth. She gave the vegetation a nervous little chew, observing the albino’s dementor as she did so. Upon receiving a stern nudge of encouragement, Patched sank her teeth into the plant with as much strength as she could muster. White looked on as his sister happily munched away at his gift, and made himself promise to be more firm with her in the future. 

*********** 21 Days Old 

Days later, the kittens found themselves out on their own but still reasonably close to their nest. Hesitantly, they pulled at the various roots and grasses available, sampling which tasted better than others. White was busy enjoying some alfalfa when he felt several insistent but gentle nudges at his side. It was Patched, who upon gaining her brother’s attention began running around him in eager little circles, until at last he started to pursue, and was presented with new vegetation a few feet over. The young doe stopped proudly in front of a bright green patch, and glanced over at her companion with an arguably smug expression. He stared, and felt his ears twitch in excitement. She had found clover, fresh and delectable. A crueler rabbit might have commandeered the meal, but White discovered that he was much too... _proud_ of her to do so. Instead, he chirruped in approval and booped her cheek encouragingly with his nose, before turning to try something else. Suddenly, he heard a loud series of thuds behind him, and looked to see Patched thumping her foot in annoyance. Then she stopped, and gazed at him expectantly. 

_What? Surely she doesn’t mean to…_ She was trying to share with him. Just when she appeared able to manage herself, here she was trying to— 

_No._ He began putting distance between himself and the offering. Patched hopped away, and only after she was far enough did she have the _audacity_ to give him a pointed look.

_But—_ his eyes flickered rapidly between her and her present. He gave a desperate, frustrated stare, pleading for his sister to hurry up and feed while she still could. The albino’s efforts were boredly dismissed as she lazily tugged at her fur. Fed up, White furiously began nibbling on her gift. 

_Is this what you want?! You stupid, stubborn, sweet girl!_ He left about half of the greens for her, and sprinted back to his old grazing spot lest she demand he consume more. To his relief, Patched returned to the sprouts with no more awareness than if it had been her first time stumbling across them. White watched her, feeling his irritation gave way to...gratitude, maybe. Affection, perhaps. Nothing more. She soon finished, and approached him once again, ears flicking and paws dancing. Did she mean to give him more? As if he couldn’t fend for himself? The young buck sat there, unsure of whether to be offended or touched, when all at once she charged to his right, and leapt into the air, landing awkwardly a few seconds later. Then she raced back to him, still restless and bouncing. 

_Oh!_ He suddenly understood. _She wishes to play._ If ever there were a time to make his intentions clear, now would be it. He should have pushed her away, growled if she came near, or ignored her at the very least. They couldn’t go frolicking about one day just to act like competitors the next, and he couldn’t sacrifice his safety for her. He couldn’t...he shouldn’t… White swiftly bopped Patched on the nose before retreating in the other direction. She tore after him, ears flapping, honks of delight trailing behind her. As he watched the gap between them grow, the young buck slowed down a bit, in an effort to make things more fair. She tackled him from behind minutes later, smacked the side of his head with her paw, and veered off to the left. Momentarily disoriented, the albino gave chase, gaining ground much faster than she had. Patched let out a squeak of surprise when she saw her brother so close so soon, until he randomly flew off the ground, twisting in midair before making his own lop-sided landing. She ran to him, bewildered and worried, until he jumped up, gave her a cheerful nudge, and was off again. He hadn’t meant to lose himself as much as he did, but the joy of unbridled fun made him...happy. He was positively giddy at the prospect of freely enjoying the outside with his friend. 

**_What?_** White stopped dead in his tracks. 

_My...friend?_ He wondered, startled by the warmth that sentiment drew. So taken with this new development, he didn’t notice Brown approaching until the older kitten sped into view. 

_He wants to play too?_ White pondered, tender enough in that second to actually believe it so. He watched his brother scurry down into their burrow and froze. A strange, hostile leer stabbed him from behind. His eyes searched wildly, the rest of his body stone. 

It was nearly three times his size, crouched down, muscles tensed, yellow orbs piercing into his from between the tall grass blades. White honed in on the burrow’s entrance. He could make it. He would survive this. The young buck prepared to leap for safety when he noticed that the creature’s stare was no longer fixated upon him but rather—

Patched had tried her best to stay as still and silent as the woods encompassing them, but her fur— _his_ fur—was just too obvious against their surroundings. As that thought struck bitterly into him, another came crawling after that sent White reeling. 

_Brown must have blended in._ He had seen the predator coming, ran off before it could take notice, and left them to die. The albino trembled with fury, when he saw the beast sink lower still...suddenly it was flying. As the small doe desperately fled for her life, White found himself sprinting towards their attacker, horrified by this impulse but determined to see it through. The young buck met his opponent head-on, and kicked at its skull with his hind legs. Though somewhat uncoordinated, the action seemed to have damaged its target and White was briefly confident in the outcome of this fight. Then long, powerful limbs outfitted with claws so much larger and sharper than his own swiped at him, aiming for his wide scarlet eyes and soft pink nose. The kitten bolted, thinking of nothing but reaching his nest in time. He could practically feel the carnivore at his heels, and pushed himself harder still.

_Youarenotgoingtodiehereyouarenotgoingtodiehere_ ** _youarenotgoingtodiehere_** **_YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DIE HERE._**

White hurled himself down the rabbit hole and darted into its center, unaware and beyond caring if It could enter, just desperately trying to get away. He slammed blindly into a wall and crumpled. Eyes shut, chest heaving, he lay sprawled against the fluff-covered dirt, for once unconcerned with the dust. Almost instantly, there came a tender press into his side. Warily, the young buck peered out and saw his sister carefully licking his coat. Relieved, he lowered himself back down and watched as she diligently scrutinized his fur. 

_She’s trying to groom me. Seconds ago we could have died yet here she is trying to clean me._ White tucked her head under his and stretched his body to tightly encircle hers. Though a tad uncomfortable to perform, it was the best hug he could offer. Patched readily accepted the gesture, snuggling closer while happily chattering her teeth. They were safe. Danger had passed with both of them still alive. He could protect her. He _had_ protected her, and he would do it again. He would keep her safe. Nothing would ever happen to her so long as—

**_Brown._ **The male’s glare shot across the room and landed on his brother, who was silently staring back at him. If Patched was to ever truly be safe, the albino decided, he needed to die. Preferably as soon as possible. The white rabbit sized up the older buck, plotting his demise. Tonight when he was asleep would be best. But how? It wasn’t as though he could just tear the brunet’s throat, or break his neck. No, something less direct was in order, but what? White regarded the soft materials lining their nursery. Perhaps if he could just lightly hold Brown’s nose against a pile long enough, the brute would suffocate. Now that was an idea, but suppose he managed to stir halfway through? No, there had to be another way, something even farther removed. He just needed to deprive him of air...

_Oh!_ White gave a little jolt. The burrow itself! There was only one entrance, and it was a small hole at that. He could block it up! He would wake Patched, together they could clog the opening with rocks and dirt, and with any luck the lout would be finished by morning! It was a shame to lose the nest, of course, but they could find a new one—or build it! It didn’t matter. The only thing of importance was that they would be safe. Together. Satisfied with this plan, White finally allowed himself to rest, certain he would need his strength for the task ahead. 

****************

He awoke to the sounds of digging coming from outside the burrow. 

_Has she started already?_ White wondered groggily. Unlikely, considering how he had yet to communicate what he was planning. Sure enough, Patched lay fast asleep at his side.

_Brown?_ He too was beginning to stir, eyelids reluctantly lifting and ears flicking, but all very much within the confines of the nest. White lifted his nose and sampled the air.

_Mother?_ But the odor was faint, almost drowning in something else. 

_And what reason would she have to dig?_ Then he noticed another scent that was...unprecedented. Disturbingly so. Slowly, he crept up the tunnel that linked his nursery to the outside world. 

She was twitching uncontrollably, her front legs stiff as they jerked back and forth sporadically. Her head shook with tremors, and her eyes though wide open saw nothing. White didn’t understand. This was no way to sleep. And why did she look so small? And why did she smell so strange? It took him puzzling a few seconds more to realize that half of his mother was gone, replaced by soft innards seeping out from what was left. White gazed at her remains with a vacant stare, when they suddenly vanished. The tearing of fur, the shredding of flesh, the yanking of tendons until they snapped, it all reverberated around his skull, rendering him helpless to hear anything but the sounds of his mother’s corpse being eagerly devoured. He sat there, dazed, looking out into the darkness that lay beyond his home, until one frigid amber orb began to stare back. The kitten blinked and found himself at the heart of his nest upon opening his eyes. Was there some way to forget the atrocities up above, and bury himself in the familiar comfort of his den? The scratching outside grew louder, and so much more frantic than before. Brown had stood at his return, and briefly examined his brother before going himself to investigate. White however was frozen, as if willing time to stop because he had. Something gently nudged at his side. He ignored it. Harder, and multiple times now. He didn’t react. Something bowled him over onto the floor, causing him to scramble up and finally face Patched, who upon waking her brother was now silently pleading with him to fix everything. Patched. His dear sister. His only friend. She needed him. _Now._ Hurriedly, the white rabbit searched for ideas. Digging their way out? Even with three of them, he wasn’t sure they could work fast enough, be it deeper underground or to the surface overhead. Footsteps nearby alerted him of the brunet’s approach. They couldn’t fight it. Not after what it had done to—White feverishly scanned the walls of his nest, hoping for a new option. Throw dirt in its face? Suffocate it with dried grass and fluff? He could hear growling now, and so must have Patched because she was trembling beside him. Dirt, pebble in the wall, dirt, root hole, more dirt—

_Root!_ White dashed over to the hidden cache and stripped away its disguise. His mind flashed through every time he had loosened his grip or stalled his tugging, for fear of bringing the ceiling down on all of them. What if—what if he pulled it out now, and the burrow collapsed? Would the creature be too shocked to continue? Could they hide in the rubble, or flee? Desperate, yes, and possibly fatal but how long could they stay down here? The carnivore was getting closer still and someone had begun thumping wildly in panic—

A long, sharp squeal echoed through the nest, followed by a series of short, punctuated sounds of similar pitch. He had her by the scruff of her neck. White watched as Patched dangled from Brown’s mouth, limbs kicking uselessly in his hold. 

_What is this? What is he doing?_ The albino gaped, bewilderment morphing into horror as his brother began entering the tunnel, moving towards the monster above. 

_**NO.** _

White lunged forward and sank his incisors deep into the nape of his traitorous neck. His sister was knocked free of Brown’s jaws, but even as the barbarian launched himself backward to crush the pale kitten beneath him, too much of the tunnel entrance was blocked for Patched to escape. Ignoring the fiend actively driving him into the ground, White wrapped his forelimbs around the vermin’s throat and bit into the side of his jugular. Brown twisted hard out of his grasp and began slamming his forepaws down on White’s skull. Patched tackled him from behind, digging her front teeth into the first wound her brother had inflicted. Blood oozing from his body, the enemy howled before smashing her against the tunnel wall until she dropped down, slumped against the earth in a crumpled heap. Laboriously, Brown shuffled closer, picked his little sister back up, and continued on. White watched through a haze as they departed, shakily turned over, and struggled to lift himself off the floor.

**_Root. Pull out the root._** He crawled to it, driven by one sole desire. 

**_Bury him alive._** If Patched was to be sacrificed, so were they. Head pounding, vision blurred, White latched onto the plant’s anchor and tugged with everything he had left. Once he fell, tuber in mouth, the ground overhead began to fracture, and crumble. 

**_I’m sorry._ **

The last thing he heard was one single piercing scream, shattering the silence of the night. 

*************

Dust clogged the inside of his nose, making it difficult to breathe. White forcefully cleared his nostrils—though the effort was dizzying—before trying to inhale some fresh air, just to be hacking out dirt right after. He opened his eyes, and found little dapples of light filtering through the darkness. The kitten tried moving towards them, when he suddenly noticed something covering him, weighing him down. Slowly, the young buck inched forward, wiggling his way free, determined to reach the surface. Mind spinning, body battered and in some locations bruised, the white rabbit crawled out from the remains of his home, and dropped onto the lawn a foot away, scrunched up with tension, all four paws practically gripping the grass underfoot, searching for a sense of stability. Head resting against the earth, he gazed into the clear blue sky and tried to remember the night before. 

_The nest...the nest fell through because...because...I pulled the root. I pulled the root out and I had to because…bring it down on all of us. But where…_ he mused. _Where_ _is all of us?_ Eyelids snapping apart he shot off the ground and stumbled back to the wreckage, nerves throbbing against his skull. 

**_PATCHED! WHERE IS SHE?! Where…_** A scream. He shivered at the memory. That had to have been her but—he began digging through the debris, desperate for the sight of fur, signs of movement, a fresh scent—anything to prove she was still there. All he could find was blood but that could have been Mother’s— ** _Mother’sgonetoo—_** or even Brown’s—

**_BROWN—MONSTER. COWARDLY TRAITOROUS—MURDERER. I’LL KILL HIM. IF IT’S THE LAST THING I DO I’LL—_ **White’s rage cracked under the weight of a sob. 

**_She’s gone._ **Too weak to stand, the kitten collapsed into the ruins of his life. 

**_Shesgoneshesgone—Why?! Why is she gone while I am still here?! Why?!_ **White’s mourning came in long, shrill wails that echoed through the forest, uncaring if they attracted predators. Let them come. Let them right the injustice of him living while his sister had probably been torn to pieces—he nearly vomited at the thought. 

**_Dead...gone._** He shuddered, whimpering as tears dampened the fuzz of his cheeks. 

_I suppose if I lay here long enough, I too will eventually be—_ Anger clawed its way through him before he could even recognize the sting. 

**_I told you._** It whispered. **_I told you this would happen. Look at yourself. Vulnerable, exposed. Welcoming death—and all because you couldn’t leave well enough alone. Have you forgotten? You live because you were stronger, swifter, and much more clever than she could have ever hoped to be._**

**_I LIVE BECAUSE SHE SAVED MY LIFE!_ **He howled back in fury. 

**_You thought of the root, not her._** It hissed. **_And_** ** _she_** ** _was the one Brown wanted. He knew better than to challenge_** ** _you._** ** _Once the creature was fed, you would have been safe._**

**_YOU DON’T KNOW THAT!_ **He fought, though the faintest wisp of doubt lingered at the back of his mind. 

**_But I’m not the one about to give up on everything because I was too pathetic to focus on keeping myself alive._ **

**_That wasn’t_ ** _...I…_ Had he been helpless to loving Patched? Was his resistance just a pretense? _Wait…_ **_love?_ ** _When had…_ **_Loving? Loved?_ **

_And that’s exactly why she’s gone._ Spite finished smugly. 

A stunned silence filled his head. **_What? What did you say?_ **

_You did this._ It goaded. _You let her stay weak. And after all those promises of protecting her, you let this happen._

**_I DIDN’T—I TRIED TO PROTECT HER BUT I COULDN’T—_ **

_You were so desperate for her kindness that you let her stay weak._ _Made_ _her stay weak._ It taunted mercilessly. 

**_NO! That isn’t true!_ ** He tried to argue but found himself begging, body limp with remorse. _I tried to protect her, I just..._

**_She’s dead because of you._ **

White felt fresh tears carve trails down his face as he trembled with grief. _IneverwantedIdidn’tmeantoIdidn’tmeantoIjust—_

_Of course you didn’t._ Pity reassured him soothingly. _You said so yourself, you loved her. Don’t you recall? And you did try, you tried so very hard…_

_But don’t you see?_ Spite inquired softly. _You can’t keep anything safe. Not here...not in this world. Remember that next time._

_There will_ ** _never_** **_BE_** _a next time._ White felt himself growing numb, his pain little more than a dull ache that he refused to spend another second nursing. 

  
**_A_** ** _l_** ** _l_** ** _t_** ** _h_** ** _e_** ** _b_** ** _e_** ** _t_** ** _t_** ** _e_** ** _r._** They chorused. Anger nodded grimly with a glare. Spite grinned in self-satisfaction as Pity shook Its head sympathetically, clucking Its tongue at the shameful state of things. They departed shortly after, and White was left alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> White desires more than what his life in the forest offers.

White had expected nothing less than a great, bloody battle to result from his next encounter with Brown, the likes of which only one of them would survive. That said, he was quite surprised and disappointed to find the brunet already dead. 

_Perhaps_ _I should be grateful,_ he admitted, recalling how poorly their last struggle had ended. The young buck briefly considered bidding his brother some sort of farewell, but swiftly decided that identifying his cause of death would be much more useful. The wounds in his neck seemed a reasonable place to start, seeing as they were swollen and leaking some putrid-smelling fluid. 

_Is this rot a natural part of decomposition?_ Doubtful, seeing how the infection was localized to injuries sustained while alive. 

_So we—_ **_I_ ** _killed him after all._ There was some comfort in that. But more importantly, he realized, open wounds could fester, and poison the body. 

_Imagine that,_ White chuckled bitterly. _I’ve invisible enemies to contend with as well._ He resolved to be even cleaner in response.

**********

White quickly discovered that his nest had been just one in a community of many, each inhabited by other rabbits. If nothing else, he remained near in hopes that their presence would offer predators something else to devour.

Despite this, the young buck interacted with the rest of his warren as little as possible. He lived alone in a burrow of his own design, and growled at anyone who approached. He fed with them, but only at a respectable distance. He violently rejected all offers of grooming, kicking and snapping at those who dared to initiate physical contact. And come spring, White refused to seek any sort of female companionship. 

Was he actually expected to risk his health fighting other males? Just to father young that would eventually battle _him_ for mates and resources? Absurd. And what of this supposed consort? He had seen the eligibile does observing boxing matches and evaluating social positions, all of them vying for the best suitor. Was there even a _drop_ of personal care put into their choices? Was there any _love_? Not that it mattered. These concerns weren’t of any importance, they simply begged to ask how he could trust another rabbit with anything, much less the “rearing” of his offspring. 

Leaving his progeny to fend for themselves, just to flounce off and have more—were these to be the maternal instincts of his partner? As for him, it became clear that bucks played no part in raising their kits, a precedent he would have felt no obligation to break. Imagine, wasting his energy in the service of little detriments, just for them to turn on him the moment they were able. Not to mention how _unsanitary_ the reproductive process itself sounded. No, let the others keep his species afloat. 

As the dens began to fill with kittens, it struck him how much they resembled their parents, and led him to consider his own ancestry. Brown had looked just like their mother, but what of Pat _—him?_ He had yet to see a coat that wasn’t brown or gray among any of his fellow bucks. White concluded that his own father must have passed before his birth, and deemed himself superior to the male who had sired him. 

************

White was envious. He spent every day trying to catch a glimpse of these “humans.” They strolled through the woods with confidence, using Special Tools to kill predators and large prey as they saw fit. From the moment he first witnessed their skill, it was immediately clear that these were the strongest creatures in the land, and he _yearned_ for that obvious power. They seemed so sure of their abilities, so secure in their talents. On occasion he had even managed to spot their young romping through the forest, as though convinced that no danger could ever befall them. It was intoxicating, this easy self-assurance. White would have given anything to join them. 

********** 

This one was different. Not only could you see his eyes (a trait that was more the exception than rule), but they were disoriented and unfocused. White watched this human stumble around, and occasionally take large, uncoordinated gulps from some container. A few wobbly steps later, he tripped backwards into the base of a large tree and fell hard on his rear, spilled beverage staining his outer cover. Vision now much closer to ground level, the man finally caught sight of his audience. 

“She’s dead.” His voice was raw and gravelly. “Tonsa faceless die allatime, n’ you don’t see ayonelse cryin’ but…” Those vacant eyes were suddenly dark and insistent. “She’s gone an’ you know who they gotta misplace er’?” 

_Ah._ White noted. _So it is not insanity that plagues him, but mourning._

“ **_A lil’ girl w’ ribbonsinerair!_ ** ” He wailed. “ _That’s_ who! **They’ll take ANYONE!** ” He yelled in anguish, arms waving randomly, bottle smashing on bark. “ **Aminalz! Childrn’! Whatever! Thaz how easy it is!** ” Suddenly the man was weeping into his hands. 

“Nonofus matters.” He whimpered. “No one…” There came another sob. Then his bleary gaze turned sharp with anger. 

“Butcha know what?” The human demanded, glaring at the white rabbit with an alarming amount of malice. “If they're gonna replace **_her_** ,” he snarled, slamming a Special Tool against his skull, “then _by God_ they’re gonna replace **_me_**.” The man shut his eyes and pulled the trigger. 

White leapt back in shock as the human’s head exploded. He dove under a nearby bush, and studied the body lying still in the dirt, blood pooling from the gaping wound and clogging his nostrils with its stench. Before he could even consider how to proceed, the flesh began to shimmer. He stared, fear struggling to overtake amazement, until the corpse suddenly vanished, leaving two objects behind in its place. 

One was round and completely foreign to the rabbit. The Special Tool rested beside it. Cautiously, he stepped closer to investigate, when something started to seep out of The Round One. The young buck swiftly retreated to safety, and warily examined the emerging substance from the protection of his shrub. 

It was black and wispy like a shadow, though the form was fluid and inconsistent. Not only that, but rather than lie stretched across the ground, it hung somberly in the air. Slowly, the strange shade drifted deeper into the woods, abandoning a very bewildered White in its wake. 

Gingerly, he crept towards the human’s keepsakes, eyeing The Round One with no small amount of suspicion. Even after he finally deemed it inert, the young buck was very careful to avoid getting close. 

The Special Tool however was alluring; White found himself unwilling to part with it. He sat down next to the device, admiring its structure and details. He pondered on its wielder, and why the human would take his own life. He had lost someone, that much was certain. Something had happened to her and the grief had driven that man mad. 

_DoyourememberherdoyourememberPat_ **_—NOIDONOTIDONTREMEMBERANYONEWHOAREYOUEVENTALKINGABOUTNOONETHATSWHONOONEDOYOUHEARMESHENEVEREVENEXISTEDSHEWASNEVERTHERETHEREWASNEVERANYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—_ **

The human was simply weak of spirit, that was all. But White was stronger. He would cling to any advantage given with every fiber of his being. If it had been _his_ Special Tool, he would have never turned it on himself. 

_Perhaps...well he did say_ **_anyone_ ** _. Am I not someone? Why should I not be the next...whatever he was? After all, he did make it very clear that he would need to be replaced. Whatever it is, why not me?_ The forest grew dim, informing White that night had fallen. He should have returned to his burrow, before the nocturnal hunters became active. And yet, even now he had no more resistance to The Special Tool’s pull than when he had first indulged in its company. 

_Please._ He had no concept of to whom this plea was directed, but gazed up into the bright swell of a full moon, and begged for the power that human had so foolishly thrown away. 

_There cannot be anyone who would want it more than I. So please...grant me this wish. I swear I would never discard it the way your last choice did._ All at once White was exhausted. He flopped down atop his new Special Tool, and fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> White awakens to find that he's mostly human, and searches for Heart Castle with his directionally challenged companion.

“Woah, what happened to you?” 

White immediately tried to sit up, just to hunker back down in agony, skull aching as though it were about to split. 

The voice behind him chuckled. “Party too hard last night? That’s cool. Anyways, I’m really gonna need that clock, so if you’ll just hand it over…” 

The rabbit clenched his jaw and shook his head, trying to clear away the pain. 

“That’s too bad.” The voice answered, tone much less sympathetic than the words conveyed. “Not a big deal though…” White heard something new behind him, slow and drawn-out. His hair stood on end, and his eyes snapped open as he whirled around to face his attacker. 

“Oh...you must be new.” 

Something was wrong with his eyes. A gaze that should have covered the surrounding terrain had somehow been forced into a mere fraction of that size, and there was something else strange and unnerving but he couldn’t really tell and he didn’t have time for it who knew how long this unknown threat would be stalled—

White swung his head sideways for a direct view of his opponent, and was shocked to find nothing but foliage. With growing horror he discovered the other side to be no better. 

“Hey!” the creature offered cheerfully, prodding at White’s forehead. “Over here.”

The rabbit instinctively glanced where directed and located the source of his trouble. It was large, blurry, and...what was that? A texture maybe? The blob was coated in it. He tried reaching towards it, but only felt the air against his...paws? Hazy vision aside they were certainly not paws and they sported no fur and as he frantically began touching them they were nothing like he had ever felt before and what about the rest of him where was his fur and the woods were spinning but everything was shaded and filtered wrong and it all looked wrong and smelled wrong and he couldn’t even see most of it and—

White slammed his face into the ground, desperate to block out this distorted reality. 

_Wrongwrongwrongeverythingiswrongmyeyesmypawsmyfurmynosemyears—my ears!_ His hearing hadn’t changed. Tentatively, he gave them a swivel. Same movement as always. He tried a flick. Nothing out of the ordinary. The young buck nearly sobbed with relief. 

“Look, you must be a new role holder. And, seeing as how that’s a clock, and a Heart Castle gun, I guess you’re replacing the old Prime Minister. Welcome aboard!” 

_Replacing?_ The night before came rushing back. His vision, sense of smell, fur, limbs—

“Uan?” White croaked, anxiously looking up.

“Huh?” 

“Uma? Unam?!” The rabbit forcefully exhaled in frustration. Then he slowly moved his tongue and lips to pronounce: “Huu...maa-N?”

“Me or you?” His companion chuckled, pointing between them for emphasis. 

“...Eee.” 

The man gave a noncommittal hum. “Looks like it. Except for the ears. Anyways, we should get you back to the Castle.” 

White barely heard anything past the confirmation of his altered body. _Human._ He felt warm, dizzy, and his “paws” were damp but the fear from his transformation was swiftly turning to joy. A sound bubbled out of him, bright and nonsensical, and what he chalked up to faulty language expression then would much later be understood as laughter. 

He ran his “paws” over his limbs again and marvelled at the change in feel. They were smooth now, though lightly patterned with longer, thinner hairs! Headache forgotten, his vision and smell still left him with a myriad of questions but it was excitement they inflicted instead of terror. He was human and no matter what it took he would learn to live among them and climb their ranks until _he_ was strongest! 

Those meaningless sounds continued spilling out of White, unbidden but welcome as he revealed in the glory of his future. Gone were the days of running from predators! No more desperation! No more simply _hoping_ for success! Never again would he be at the mercy of someone else’s whims—

His celebration was quickly interrupted by the other human, who had begun tapping insistently at his forehead. 

“Hey, if you’re done, we’ve still gotta get to the Castle.”

By no means did White trust this strange man, but it wasn’t as though he had any other option. He knew very little about living as a human, while this one clearly excelled at it. Case in point, he was standing on his hind legs. Though White had previously been capable of sitting up, his own limbs had never been used in such a way. 

The young buck carefully braced his front appendages against the grass, and gradually lifted the rest of his body by unfolding his rear ones. Once this was accomplished, he tried pushing off the earth with his new “paws,” just to stumble back and fall right on his rear. 

Grimacing, White tried to reassess his strategy. As he took in the nearby trees, an idea formed. He crawled towards a thick pine, and gripped it on both sides. Shakily, he made his ascent up the trunk, legs trembling from exertion but managing to hold his weight. 

The young buck was pleased with his success, until he heard a repetitive sound behind him, and turned to see the other human advancing, slapping his own “paws” together as he did so.

“Good job.” He commended, though White didn’t take it as sincere praise. He was further annoyed at the lack of assistance, but wouldn’t have dared complain even if he could. 

“Welp, let’s get going!” His colleague instructed brightly. “I think it’s this way, follow me!” 

********

White reserved a general sense of apathy for the living beings that surrounded him, and an icy disdain for any that tried to personally interact with him. And still, he was woefully unprepared for how much he would come to despise his burden of a guide. The poor rabbit clumsily teetered after him through thick bushes and dark forest trails, irritation only increasing as the sky overhead shifted. When it suddenly snapped to night, White collapsed against a nearby oak.

“ _Losss-T?_ ” He spat at the wandering fool, who was inexplicably trying to force himself between a boulder and a birch. 

“Definitely!” the man beamed. “But we’re probably close by now!” 

The White Rabbit groaned emphatically, wondering how responsible this twit was for his predecessor's demise. Then he grabbed him by the forelimb, and started off for clearer land. If they could leave the forest altogether, they might be able to at least _see_ what they were looking for. White’s hostage struggled and tried to protest, but the young buck ignored him, thoroughly convinced that his navigation skills were nonexistent. 

“You’re so nice!” his charge chirped, once he had given up trying to lead. “You totally could have left me behind!”

_No, I might need you to enter this “Heart Castle,” wherever it may be._ His mutated perspective was still bizarre and disorienting, but so long as he could tell the difference between more and less trees, White assumed he’d be fine. Sure enough, eventually they broke into a clearing, with human structures visible beyond it. 

“Hey, there it is!” the dolt cheered, pointing to a massive property. “I told you we’d make it!” 

The White Rabbit stared into the vast expanse of his new world. It was daunting, with his knowledge limited and experience nonexistent, yet he felt no desire to turn away. The vicious, devouring hellscape he had begged to be relieved of lay behind, while everything he had ever wanted was but a short walk ahead. 

_Everythingwhataboutherwhatabout—_ **_SILENCE._ **

Prime Minister White marched on towards his destiny, absolutely refusing to look back.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it, and comments and kudos are always appreciated. :)


End file.
